The LiBearty Bear Sanctuary in Zarnesti, Romania, will possibly be the most memorable experience of a trip to Eastern Europe for families and animal lovers. For starters, Zarnesti is located half an hour southwest of Brasov, a lovely historical town in the middle of the country. It boasts great hotels and restaurants and a lush […]
Tracking Down Dracula at Snagov Monastery
Few visitors to Romania come to Snagov Monastery. Fewer still have ever heard of it, in spite of its connection to the life (actually the death) of Count Dracula, the country’s most famous native. Technically, as a fictional character – and a vampire, Dracula didn’t live OR die. But his real-life counterpart, Vlad Țepeș (Vlad the Impaler), […]
Visiting Romania’s Maramureș County
Many Romanians vacation in Maramureș, a county in Romania north of Transylviania and south of the Ukrainian border, for the same reasons foreigners do. They are curious to see life as it existed centuries ago. Maramureș is like Pennsylvania Dutch country in the US: horse-drawn carriages, hand-embroidered clothing, rural crafts, and lifestyles based on agriculture. […]
Zemun: Belgrade’s Most Charming Neighborhood
Belgrade, with its relaxed attitude, friendly residents and incredible food and drink, can also be sadly short on charm. Outside the historic center, districts tend to run together, and in New Belgrade, indistinguishable rows of apartment buildings seem to stretch for miles. But the city has at least one neighborhood that can be considered distinctive […]
Poenari Castle and the Myth of Dracula
To visit the real Dracula’s real castle in Romania, you have to know which castle to visit. Shall it be Bran Castle of Transylvania, beloved by tourists and the country’s tourism board, or Poenari Castle of Wallachia, the historically valid but little-known alternative? Those who have read Bram Stoker’s novel about the world’s most famous vampire are often curious […]
A Very Merry Romanian Cemetery
Death is no laughing matter in most parts of the world. But things are different in Săpânța, Romania, a small village in the northern part of the country close to the Ukrainian border. For the last 80 years, the Merry Romanian Cemetery has opted to make death a source of amusement, even joy, and a […]
An Historic Stroll through Dracula’s Home: Sighisoara, Romania
Sighisoara, in Romania’s Transylvania region, is a picturesque city with winding streets and spiky towers, centered around a medieval fortified city center on top of a hill. It is well set-up for tourism, with comfortable hotels and dining places that are reasonably priced and strategically located for sightseeing. But it gets full of tourists in […]
Tirana, Albania: From Despair to Hope
Tirana, Albania From Despair to Hope An energetic and progressive Tirana is what we see. Fine places to dine, vibrant shops, parks for strolling, traffic chaos, buildings undergoing facelifts, new structures taking form under a flourish of cranes. Locals tell us Tirana has changed beyond belief from its once austere and dull grey of past decades. […]
When in Kosovo Enjoy Pristina and Nearby Prizren
The atmosphere is effervescent! Families are out enjoying a sunny Sunday. Small cafes are filled to capacity. The scent of roasting chestnuts wafts from charcoal burners on every corner. A visit to Kosovo shows that tourism is on its way up, and rightfully so! And, When in Kosovo Enjoy Pristina and Nearby Prizren. We absorb […]
Sighisoara, Romania: a Tour of the Towers
Sighisoara, in Romania’s Transylvania region, has beautifully preserved medieval city walls, incorporating nine fascinating towers. Let’s visit the towers in clockwise order, starting with the most famous. The clock tower is the citadel’s main tower, and is intentionally located at what was considered a sacred compass point, the east. It’s easy to see from a […]